Mario
Mario is the main character and protagonist of the long-running and highly successful [http://www.mariowiki.com/Mario_(franchise) Mario franchise]. He was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and also serves as the main mascot of Nintendo. Mario made his first appearance as the protagonist of the arcade game Donkey Kong, released in 1981. Since Super Mario Bros., his trademark abilities have been his jumping and stomping powers, with which he defeats most of his enemies; and his ability to gain powers with a plethora of items, such as the Super Mushroom, Fire Flower and the Super Star. Games have usually portrayed Mario as a silent character without a distinct personality (Fortune Street is a notable exception). According to Nintendo's philosophy, this allows Mario to fit in many different genres and roles. In most games, he is the hero that goes on an adventure to save Princess Peach from Bowser, but he has been shown doing many other activities besides adventuring, such as racing and sporting with his younger twin brother and others. Creation Following the failure of Radar Scope in North America, Nintendo's then-president,Hiroshi Yamauchi, requested Miyamoto's aid in converting unsold Radar Scope units into something that would sell well. Miyamoto conceived the concept of a love triangle and decided to make a game based on the Popeye character. He, however, was denied the rights for the Popeye franchise, so he decided to come up with a new idea using his own characters. For use in his arcade game Donkey Kong, he created a character named Jumpman, who previously went under other names, such as Mr. Video, and originally, Ossan (the Japanese term for middle-aged man)[2]. This character was given red overalls and a blue shirt in order to make the arms more visible as well as a cap and moustache, as hair and a mouth were impossible to animate on the arcade system.[3] It is said that during the development for Donkey Kong Jr., the Jumpman character was renamed to Mario when an employee at Nintendo of America's office pointed out the similar physical appearances between Jumpman and Nintendo's Italian landlord, Mario Segale.[4][5][6][7] This is later confirmed by Shigeru Miyamoto during a promotional video for Super Mario Maker, which celebrates Mario's 30th anniversary.[8] While initially designed as a carpenter, after an employee noted that he looked more like a plumber, his occupation was changed and Mario Bros. soon followed[9]. History 'Background' ''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island'' depicts Mario's beginnings by delivery of a stork at nearly the same time as Luigi, suggesting a twin birth. Mario, however, receives help from Yoshis shortly after Luigi has been kidnapped by Kamek, pointing them to Luigi's location. While Mario can still use a power-up, Superstar Mario, the Yoshis must otherwise protect and guide him to Bowser's Castle. Once Mario and Luigi are rescued, the stork delivers them to their parents. Yoshi's New Island, however, later retcons by stating they are the wrong parents. After Luigi is kidnapped a few more times, Mario and Luigi reunite with their true parents in Yoshi's New Island and Yoshi's Island DS. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is usually considered as one of the first media chronologically in Mario's history, but a few other sources, usually older than Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, depict different beginnings. In Super Mario Momotarō, for instance, two elderly Hammer Bros. have found and raised Mario, who emerged out of a peach that has fallen from the sky. Mario here resembles his older self, although smaller and without a hat. The story in Super Mario Momotarō, however, is a retelling of a popular Japanese fairy tale and may have no actual bearing on Mario's history. The Nintendo Comics System comic entitled Family Album "The Early Years" is another early medium that depicts Mario's childhood. According to it, Mario has taken an early interest in plumbing, although frequently misbehaving, such as making his father's pipe emit bubbles instead of smoke. Mario is also adept at sports, scoring home runs in his neighborhood softball team. Mario at birth is shown to have full hair on the head and facial stubble that quickly became a mustache. Luigi is also born several years after Mario, later retconned in favor of a twin relationship in the video games. ''Donkey Kong'' series ''Donkey Kong'' In Donkey Kong, Mario, known as Jumpman at the time, is a carpenter whose mission is to rescue his girlfriend Pauline from the clutches of Donkey Kong, who takes her to a Construction Site. Mario can jump over obstacles such as the barrels Donkey Kong throws. Mario also uses hammers as items. Jumping can be used to jump over obstacles only, not to destroy them, as is a prominent feature in later games. ''Donkey Kong Jr. In ''Donkey Kong Jr., Mario appears as the antagonist, having captured Donkey Kong and holding him in a cage. The protagonist Donkey Kong Jr. rescues his father in the end. Another game depicting Mario as the tamer of Donkey Kong is the Game & Watch title Donkey Kong Circus, in which Mario appears only in the background. ''Donkey Kong Circus'' Mario appears as the antagonist in Donkey Kong Circus. Mario is an audience member who laughs at Donkey Kong, the new attraction of the circus, whenever he drops a pineapple or gets hit by fire. In the end of the game, Mario is shown in the construction site where the first game begins. ''Donkey Kong Hockey'' Mario appears in the game Donkey Kong Hockey as the protagonist. His hockey shot is less powerful than Donkey Kong's but has more range than him. ''Donkey Kong'' (Game Boy) Mario makes a later appearance in the Donkey Kong series with his updated Super Mario Bros. design in Donkey Kong on the Game Boy. Mario, as well as traveling through the construction site similar to the original Donkey Kong, must travel through additional nine worlds to rescue Pauline. Mario, unlike in Donkey Kong or Super Mario Bros., can perform additional acrobatic maneuvers that may assist him in navigating through levels. Mario can perform a Handstand move which protects him from any objects falling on him from above. From the handstand position, Mario can also perform the High Jump. The game also features the Back Flip and ropes on which Mario can spin to catapult himself high in the air. Another essential part of his moveset, taken from Super Mario Bros. 2, is Mario's ability to pick up enemies and objects and lift them over his head to throw them. This is also one of the few Mario games in which Mario takes damage and can lose a life from a high fall. In most stages, Mario has to find the key and take it to the locked door in order to proceed to the next level. As long as Mario holds the key, he has an additional hit point, although he loses the key when he takes damage. He uses Hammers as seen in the original Donkey Kong and constructs temporary Ladders and Roads in order to pass through the levels. Other levels are boss fights against Donkey Kong Jr. and Donkey Kong. In the final fight, Donkey Kong uses several Super Mushrooms to grow to a big size in stage 9-9 of the Tower. Mario must navigate through a level, chasing Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. to the top of the tower, where he eventually traps Donkey Kong Jr. in a cage and defeats the giant Donkey Kong and rescues Pauline. In the game's credits, however, Mario seems to have reconciled with Donkey Kong since they are shown together with Donkey Kong Jr. and Pauline in a photo in Rocky-Valley. The ending of the game shows Mario holding Donkey Kong above his head (who is yelling HELP!), with Donkey Kong Jr.standing to the left of him. To the right is what appears to the start of Level 1-1 from Super Mario Bros. This foreshadows the events of both Donkey Kong Jr. & Super Mario Bros.'. Many of Mario's moves and objectives are carried over to the formerly-planned sequel, Mario vs. Donkey Kong. ''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' Mario makes a cameo appearance in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. He appears at the end of the game as one of Cranky's Video Game Heroes, along withDiddy Kong, Link and Yoshi. Sonic's shoes and Earthworm Jim's plasma gun can be seen besides a trash can labeled "no hopers." With 39 DK Coins in the original and 67 in the Game Boy Advance version, Mario is the top video game hero. Donkey Kong 64 In Donkey Kong 64, specifically in a port of the original Donkey Kong game, playable via an arcade set up in Frantic Factory, Mario re-enacts his initial role. The player has to carefully guide him throughout the same construction site as in the original game, while the old Donkey Kong creates mischief down Mario's path. A slight modification has been brought to this port, which is related to the game's objective. In the first run, Mario has to rescue Pauline from Donkey Kong, just like in the arcade classic. However, after Pauline is rescued, the player will be prompted to retry the game and finish it in order to receive a specialNintendo Coin, which replaces Pauline. ''Saturday Supercade'' Mario appears in several episodes in Saturday Supercade, which was his first television show. His personality on the show was of a heroic person whose goal was to capture Donkey Kong. In "The Great Ape Escape", Mario and Pauline own a circus with Donkey Kong as their circus animal. Donkey Kong escapes by riding a motorcycle, after which Mario and Pauline drive their circus van to chase him. Mario attempts to catch Donkey Kong by disguising himself as a banana and catapulting himself. He tries using sleeping gas on Donkey Kong, but Donkey Kong deflects it and escapes into a nearby prison. In the prison, the criminals join with Donkey Kong and exploit his gullibility by having him perform crimes including theft. Meanwhile, riding on a hot air balloon, Mario and Pauline attempt to lure Donkey Kong with a rope ladder made of bananas. Donkey Kong, however, pops the balloon, so the two then disguise themselves as chefs, but this also fails. During the prison football game, Mario again tries and fails to capture Donkey while disguising himself as a referee. When Donkey Kong and the criminals are finally cornered at the top of the building, Mario, in a police outfit and Pauline tell Donkey Kong that the criminals are tricking him. Donkey Kong then tosses the criminals in the cage and escapes in a hot air football, leading Mario and Pauline to continue chasing him. In "Greenhouse Gorilla", Donkey Kong is tricked by Mr. X to steal Stanley's metal-eating plant, Herman. While chasing Donkey Kong, Stanley meets Mario and Pauline, where they team up to find Donkey Kong and Mr. X. They find Donkey Kong and Mr. X with the plant in the grocery store, but when Mario tries to capture Donkey Kong with his Vacuum trap, the plant consumes it and the three escape. Mr. X then leads Donkey Kong to a banquet, where Mario, Pauline and Stanley are found disguised as hired help. Pauline convinces Donkey Kong to distrust Mr. X, so Mr. X's plan fails and Donkey Kong then escapes, once again leading the three to chase him. Category:Characters Category:Fortune Street